Method of conditioning tobacco



Nov. 16, 1943. R D TCU-[ON 2,334,362

METHOD OF CONDITIONING TOBACCO Filed June 5, 1941 2 sheets-sheet 1 Nov. 16, 1943. R. D. ToUToN METHOD OF CONDITIONING TOBACCO Filed June 5, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W/V/WESS Patented Nov. I6, 1943 UNITED s'rlrrEs PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement inv apparatus for use in the treatment of tobacco for its conditioning or otherwise.

In general, this invention relates to an improvement in apparatus of the type having conveyor means extending generally in a plane, which desirably may be a horizontal plane, and

adapted or provided with means for the support of hands of tobacco from their butts and having their leaf portions free and extending laterally of the conveyor, the conveyor means being adapted to carry the hands of tobacco with respect to jets or blasts of conditioned gas.

More particularly, this invention contemplates the provision of means in association with the conveyor means, which will act, when the tobacco is subjected variously to blasts or jets of air, to hold or support the free leaf portions to the end that injury to them will be avoided and that they may be treated more eiectively than heretofore.

Having now indicated in a general Way the nature and purpose of this invention, I will proceed to a detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an apparatus embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view on lines 2-2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1.

In the several views 2, 2 indicate a pair of endless chains passing over spaced pairs of sprockets 3, 3 mounted on shafts 4, 4, which are supported in any suitable manner and one of which is adapted to be driven, from any suitable prime mover, through a pulley 5.

The chains 2, 2 are spaced apart a distance somewhat greater than twice the length of the v leaf portions of hands of tobacco 5, which it is intended shall be handled by the conveyor, as.

shown in Figure 2.

The upper reaches of the chains 2, 2 are tight, while the lower reaches are slack and supported by idlers 1, 1.

A second pair of endless chains 8, 8, connected by weighted rods 9, passes over spaced pairs of sprockets I0, I0, mounted on shafts Il, Il, suitably supported so that the lower reaches of chains 8, 8 will overlie the upper reaches of the chains 2, 2, throughout a distance between their ends, as shown in Figure 1. The upper reaches of chains 8, 8, which are slack, are supported by idlers I2, I2. The links of the chains 2, 2 and 8, 8 are out of line and their upper and lower reaches respectively lie together, the lower reaches of chain 8, 8 being weighted down on the upper reaches of chains 2, 2 by the weight of rods 9, 9, which, as described above, are connected to and extend between chains 8, 8, so that the butts I3 of the hands of tobacco 6 may be held between them, as shown in Figure 3, and so that chains 8, 8 will move with the driven chains Extending between chains 8, 8, `below rods 9, 9,

and secured to the chains throughout theirv will -freely pass and which desirably will be a material such as' copper screen, though the material need not necessarily be such as to pass air.

At the front or charging end of the machine, indicated by A, the upper reaches of the chains 2, 2 extend beyond the lower reaches of the chains 8, 8. Between the chains 2. 2 and on a level with their upper reaches, is positioned an endless conveyor belt I5, which passes around pulleys I6, I6, one of which is mounted on shaft 4, so that the belt is driven with the chains 2, 2 and at the same speed.

At the discharge end of the apparatus, indicated by B, a conveyor belt I1 is positioned be tween the chains 2, 2. The conveyor I'I passes over a pulley I8 on shaft 4 and over idler pulleys I9, I9, arranged so that it Will extend from sprockets 3, about which chains 2, 2 pass, downwardly at a small angle to chains 2, 2, forming a reach 20 and then at a relatively large angle to chains 2, 2 forming a further reach 2l.

On opposite sides of and below the conveyor formed by the chains 2, 2 and 8, 8 are longitudinally arranged ducts 22, 22 adapted to receive conditioned gas, as air, from any suitable source through inlets 23, 23. The ducts 22, 22 are provided with nozzles 24, 24, arranged for the discharge of jets or' blasts of conditioned gas. The nozzles are directed from below angularly with respect to the conveyor and as between the ducts are in staggered relation. Jets or blasts of air issuing from the nozzles 24, 24 are adapted enter the nip between the upper reaches of chains 2, 2 and the lower reaches of chains 8, 8 and they are gripped -between the reaches of the chains. The hands are carried by the chains into and out of jets or blasts of air issuing from nozzles 2|, 2l, which strike the leaf portions of the hands. Itwill be noted that chains 8. 8 are indented in the butts, as shown at 21, Figure 3.

When a .iet or blast of air from a nozzle 2l strikes the leaf portion of a hand, the guard I4 acts, as is shown in Figure 3, to prevent the leaves from injury by being blown upwardly between the chains or, if the leaves be sufliciently moist, by being blown up and over the chains. Further, under the innuence of the iets VorV blasts of air the leaf portions of the hands will be held against the guard Il and treating air will peneirate into the leaves and, if the guard be foraminous, a portion of the air will be enabled to pass through the leaves, as indicated by arrows x, Figure 3, while, since the air strikes the leaf portions at an angle, a portion of the air will be deiiected and will strike the leaf portions of opposite hands, as indicated by the arrows y, Figure 3.

Thus, it will be observed that the provision of the guard Il serves the purpose of preventing injury to the tobacco leaves and of enabling more eiective use .of treating air by enabling it in part to penetrate the leaves of a hand in its path and by deilecting it in part to the treatment of an oppositely positioned hand.

Finally, it will be noted that the novel arrangement of the pairs of conveyor chains 2, 2 and I, 8, in spaced relation with the provision of charging means between them greatly facilitates the handling of tobacco hands from the case, in which they are generally arranged tip to tip oppositely, as shown in Figure 2, for charging the conveyor.

It will be understood that it is not intended that this invention shall be limited by the above detailed disclosure, since it is contemplated that various modifications in detail may be made without departure from the scope of the appended claims.

What- I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of treating tobacco' which comprises supporting hands of tobacco on a conveyor by their butts only with the butts extending in a plane substantially parallel with the plane of travel of the conveyor, directing a forceful jet of gas against one side of the leaf portion of a hand and limiting the movement of the leaf portion under the force of the jet of gas to a plane extending substantially parallel to the direction of trayelof the conveyor.

2. The method of treating tobacco which comprises supporting hands of tobacco on a conveyor by their butts only with the butts extending in a plane substantially parallel with the Plane of travel of the conveyor, directing a forceful jet of gas against one side of the leaf portion of a hand at an angle toward the tip of the leaf portion and limiting the movement of the leaf portion under the force of the .iet 0f gas to extension substantially in line with the butt.

3. The method of treating tobacco which comprises supporting a pair of hands of tobacco on a conveyor by their butts only with the butts extending in a plane substantially parallel with the plane of travel of the conveyor and with their leaf portions extending oppositely toward each other, directing a forceful jet of gas at an angle against one side of the leaf portion of one of the hands toward the tip of the leaf portion and limiting the movement of the leaf portion of said hand under the force of said jet of gas to extension in a direction such that gas is deiiected by said hand and directed against the opposite side of the opposite hand.

4. The method of treating tobacco which comprises supporting hands -of tobacco by their butts only with the butts extending out of the vertical and the leaf portion of the hands respectively being unsupported and out of line with the butt, directing a forceful jet of gas against one side of the leaf portion of the hand from a direction such as to tend to bring the leaf portion in line with the butt and limiting the movement of the leaf portion under the force of the jet of gas to extension substantially in line With the butt.

RUSH D. TOUTON. 

